Photo story by Andreas Mikkel Hansen
Sandpits & run-ups
The Telenet Super Prestige Cyclocross Cup is a Belgian specialty. About an hour of flat out racing – cyclocross style, which means that you might run into sandpits, stairs, run-ups or barriers as you navigate the 2-3 km. long course. Cyclocross is honest racing. There are no radios or DS in the car behind, yelling orders. No team tactics (not many anyway) and no drafting or bunch-riding to the finish. This is mano-a-mano, flat out, 60 minutes of racing.
Warm-up
Cyclocross venues are often put up in the outskirts of smaller rural towns in Belgium and Holland. If you show up early, you might get a chance of seeing the elite riders as they do their warm-up routines and test ride the course.
In town for a win
These images are from the Super Prestige in Boom, Belgium. Reigning World Champion Wout Van Aert was in town looking for his first win of the season, after placing second and third after dutch riders Mathieu van der Poel and Lars van der Haar, in every important race so far this season.
But, before the guys go to battle it’s time for the Superprestige Ladies Trophy to get underway. This year, reigning world champion Sanne Cant is struggling to beat young Dutch rider Maud Kaptheijns.
Maud Kaptheijns
This race wasn’t any different, as Maud sprinted to yet another victory in front of the world champion.
At three o’clock it’s time for the young guns of the Elite men’s race to get focused on the job at hand.
The riders are called up to the start line according to their standings in the UCI points ranking
60 sec. to the gun
Tension starts to build as we approach the start.
A cyclocross race is usually an 8 or 9 lap race around a given course. This gives the fans several chances to see the riders though-out the race. The venues are often compact, which gives the spectators even more chances to see the race unfold. Big TV-screens and the event speaker make sure no one misses out on the action.
The barriers, even though they are 40cm high, can usually be “bunny-hopped” by the skilled Cyclocross rider. Kevin Pauwels in the blue kit is doing it old school and dismounts each lap.
Beer
Belgians like their racing with a fair amount of “frites” close by – and beer.
Which you will notice if you look closer at the people cheering Van Aert on, as he passes them for the fifth or six time.
Stairs and Steep run-ups are a classic ingredient in a cyclocross race.
Three laps to go and it’s GO time for Laurens Sweeck as he puts the hammer down, trying to catch race leader Wout Van Aert, who managed to put some daylight between him and the rest of the bunch, early in the race.
Dutch rider Lars van Der Haar is charging up through the ranks, after a somewhat slow start.
Dutch rider and fan favorite Mathieu van der Pool, or just “MvdP”, suffers from an early crash, after misjudging a corner, and is now struggling to get back to the front of the race. A “mechanical”, or malfunction with his bike, would later put him out of contention for the win.
MvdP is cheered on by fans along the course, even though he is from the Netherlands and we’re in Belgium. He raced on to a solid fourth place, after being almost a minute and a half behind the leaders, halfway through the race.
This Saturday in Boom, no one could catch the World Champion Wout Van Aert. Van Aert took his first win of the season and was relieved after the race. In all fairness, it must be mentioned that MvdP took himself out of contention for the win, with a bit of bad luck and a crash early in the race.
Belgian rider Laurens Sweeck took second place.
Dutch rider Lars van der Haar, from the mighty “Team Fidea Lions” – managed by the living legend Sven Nys – took the third and final spot on the podium.
Disc
The fastest bikes of this race, sleek designs – and not a canti-brake in sight. They left the Elite races with the likes of Sven Nys and Zdenek Stybar.
Next stop: The podium.
The podium in Boom. The third round of the Telenet Super Prestige cyclocross cup. Laurens Sweeck, Wout Van Aert and Lars van der Haar.
“Behind every great man, there’s an even greater woman” – Todays #1 and #2 had their better half’s assisting them in the finish area.
The racing continued the next day at the UCI Cyclocross World Cup race in Koksijde 150 km. north of Boom. Giving these Dutch and Belgian Hard-Men about 18 hours of rest, before the next important race.
Story by Andreas Mikkel Hansen
Photo credits: Andreas Mikkel Hansen
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